The commitment from Science & Technology Minister Michael Ferguson to invest $8.5m in the Tasmanian digital economy, has been welcomed by the Information, Communication and Technology’s peak industry body.
TasICT Chief Executive Officer Steve Adermann believes many opportunities for businesses in Tasmania may open up as a result of the proposed $4.3m spend on developing online identification via a digital Service Tasmania portal. It’s anticipated the development of a secure access point for Government services with integration to the Commonwealth’s MyGov portal will bring Service Tasmania’s online offerings into line with those in many other jurisdictions.
The Minister has responded to the call for increased investment in digital literacy with Digital Ready for Daily life which seeks to address the issues raised by TasICT together with TasCOSS and other partners in a recent joint statement.
Many of the projects in the funding package announced this week by the Tasmanian Liberals have been driven by TasICT over an extended period, and Mr Adermann says it’s pleasing to see the Government is listening to the industry and responding with a financial commitment. The pledge to continue backing the highly successful ‘Project Springboard’ for another year ensures the continuing development of the ICT sector’s workforce. The project is a TasICT initiative which places IT graduates in local workplaces to assist them develop relevant industry skills.
The promise for sensible reform to the framework for technology procurement will be welcomed by the many local businesses which tender for Government contracts according to Mr Adermann who says the revision of contract clauses relating to management of risk & liability are long overdue.
The high-speed optic fibre installations to an additional nine regional schools are expected to benefit the communities in those towns and give businesses in the area an affordable opportunity to upgrade their internet services too.
TasICT is a not-for-profit membership organisation, which is supported by individuals, sole traders, start-ups, small & medium sized enterprises, large businesses, corporations, educational institutes and other industry bodies.